194 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [ August, 1905, 
with their curious pets, which they exhibit and thus make a 
precarious living. I have called them snake-charmers, but they 
do not charm with music. I have yet to see the Gouwriya who uses 
the gourd flute so often seen in other parts of India. They 
wear the peculiarly twisted narrow turban which is characteristic of 
the Indian snake-charmer. 'They have attached to their turbans a 
few claws of bears or tigers and the talons of hawks or large birds 
of some kind. The snakes usually carried around are the Python 
molurus and two varieties of the cobra ; one with the spectacles and 
the other without them. The cobra with the mark on the head is 
called the Domi; without this mark it is called the Gouha, they 
are believed to be quite distinct snakes. I learned, in conversation 
with the men, that they make an agreement with the snake when it 
is first captured as to how long it will be kept in captivity. Some 
vow to keep it for six months, others for a year-and-a-half. When 
the time is up, the snake is given its freedom and another is cap- 
tured. It would be considered a very great misfortune if a snake 
should die in captivity. On questioning a man as to how the 
cobra came to have the mark on its head, I was told that when 
Bhagwan, the deity, went into Patal, (the nether region) he placed 
his foot on the Nag, and it is the footprint of Bhagwan that is 
seen on the snake to-day. ‘It shall bruise thy head, etc.” Gen. 
i, 15. The Python molurus is considered the most dharma 
(righteous) of all snakes. The reason is that it will never go out 
of its way to seek for its prey ; it lies quietly till the victim hap- 
pens to come into its immediate vicinity, and then it will lay hold of 
it. The Ptyas mucosus is locally known as the Ashariya, from the 
month Ashar, corresponding with June-July. It is socalled from 
the popular belief that it is poisonous only in Ashar. The follow- 
ing interesting story is told concerning this snake. I have heard 
this tale with many variations and it appears to be widely known: 
At one time the Ashariya was the only poisonous snake! in existence. 
It found a raut (a herdsman) lying on the side of a field where 
he had fallen asleep while tending his cattle. Near the head of 
the herdsman lay his bamboo flute, which he often played to while 
away the time while watching his cattle. Now the Ashariya 
had often heard the sound of the flute, and was annoyed at 
hearing the music. Finding the raut asleep, he determined to 
silence him forever. He approached the head of the sleeping man 
and struck him in the forehead saying, ‘‘ Now you are silenced, and 
I will never again be troubled with your music.” When the 
Ashariya had gone away, to his great astonishment he again 
heard the sound of the herdsman’s flute just as before. The flute 
lay at the head of the dead body in such a position that the wind 
blowing through it caused it to make music just as when played 
on by the owner. The Ashariy& was much enraged at the thought 
of his poison not having silenced the raut. He determined to 
distribute his poison to others, and to increase the possibility of 
the man being killed by his poison. He therefore gave an invita-- 
tion to all manner of reptiles to come to a feast which he had 
prepared. All the reptiles came in great numbers to this feast. 
1 (Cf. the Karin and Patani Malay stories of the python (Mason’s Burma 
and Annandale, Fascic. Malay Anthrop. I).—Ed. ] 
